Coralsnake envenomation is an uncommon but very dangerous occurrence throughout the southern United States. Coralsnakes are in the family Elapidae with other snakes such as cobras, kraits, and sea snakes; they are the only elapids native to North America. As with pit vipers, envenomations can range from mild to severe. However, unlike most pit vipers,…
What is Vet BLUE®? FAST is an acronym that stands for Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma. It is an ultrasound exam developed by trauma surgeons (yes trauma surgeons) in the 1990s and used in people as a screening test for the detection of free fluid in the abdominal cavity, ascites, and the pleural cavity…
Pit viper envenomation is a common emergency throughout a large portion of the United States. Pit vipers are snakes in the family Crotalinae and include rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths. Envenomations may range from mild to severe. Dry bites—where no venom is injected—can occur, but are rare and happen in fewer than 15% of cases. This…
This post is provided courtesy of Euthabag and was previously published on their website In 20 years of wearing my veterinary coat, I have seen the craziest situations. From a cat with an arrow through its epaxial muscles to a 200lb man crying more at the death of his dog than his mother. I have…
While we all enter this field with the goal of helping patients, it soon becomes apparent that not all of our patients want or appreciate our help! Many pets become stressed in the veterinary hospital, and this stress can be especially pronounced in cats. Not only is stress unpleasant for our patients, it can make…
AFAST® and Its Target-organ Approach for Soft Tissue Abnormalities What is AFAST®? FAST is an acronym that stands for Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma. It is an ultrasound exam developed by trauma surgeons (yes trauma surgeouns) in the 1990s and used as a screening test for the detection of free fluid in the abdominal…
AFAST® and Its Abdominal Fluid Scoring System What is AFAST®? FAST is an acronym that stands for Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma. It is an ultrasound exam developed by trauma surgeons in the 1990s and used as a screening test for the detection of free fluid in the abdominal cavity, ascites, and the pleural…
I never really wanted to be an expert in pet food safety, but as soon as I started as a veterinary toxicologist in the state of New York, we had a disaster. It was 2005, around the winter holidays, and dogs were getting sick, really sick. Many died, bleeding into their lungs and intestines. The…
